Patthabhi Jois, a famous Indian yoga teacher, repeated this mantra his whole life. If “all comes” with practising yoga, can yoga also reduce stress and help you lose weight?

If you have already tried every one of the tips and tricks for losing weight, you can’t keep to a diet for more than a few weeks and you are desperately looking for exercises that will help you lose fat, yoga can help you develop strategies for sustained weight loss.

Some Numbers on Obesity in Britain

Studies show that 68% of UK citizens are overweight (a BMI of more than 25) and one out of four are obese (with a BMI of more than 30).

Despite individual campaigns to helps fight obesity such as The Responsibility Deal for more transparency on the calorific and fat content of food products, or Jamie Oliver’s Feed Me Better campaign to improve the healthfulness of school dinners, obesity continues on the rise.

Fast food, saturated fats, pre-packaged meals – Britain’s population eats more and more unhealthily and cook less wholesome meals. At the same time, they are becoming more sedentary: one out of two adults don’t engage in any physical activity whatsoever.

The WHO suggests a minimal physical activity corresponding to 10,000 steps a day – which most Britains never come close to. The most troubling element is that young people are the most affected by this inactivity.

Those between 18-24 are less physically active than the 55-64 year-olds. More work happens behind a desk, more recreational activities take place in front of a screen, there is less walking… This evolution does not bode well.

For an excess of body fat can have far-reaching consequences and provoke many pathologies: cardiovascular illnesses, diabetes, joint problems, respiratory problems, depressions, several types of cancer (notably of the liver, uterus or breast).

So how can you lose weight and burn fat if you don’t like doing sports? Learning yoga can be a good alternative if you want to lose fat in your thighs and hips and work toward your ideal weight.

Lose Weight with Yoga

This is THE most important question to ask yourself before starting on a diet.

Do you want to loose weight or do you need to lose weight?
It’s not the same thing.

Indeed, your idea of ideal weight is probably probably influenced by society’s dictates. The image in your mirror doesn’t correspond to the photoshopped models in the magazines – and so you consider yourself too fat and want to lose weight.

The second is a major health issue. You need to lose weight because your health is at risk.

To give you an idea of what applies to you, it is important to calculate your BMI, or Body Mass Index.

Here is the official classification of the WHO (World Health Organisation):

Less than 16: anorexia or malnutrition

Between 16.5 and 18.5: thin

Between 18.5 and 25: normal weight

Between 25 and 30: overweight

Between 30 and 35: moderate obesity (class 1)

Between 35 and 40: high obesity (class 2)

More than 40: massive or morbid obesity (class 3)

As long as your BMI is situated between 18.5 and 25, your weight is normal. No need for draconian measure if you want to lose a few pounds. Simply practising physical activity will help you keep in shape.

If your BMI is higher than 25, you are overweight – to a greater or lesser extent. Consulting a doctor and/or a nutritionist is the best first step to understanding where your excess weight comes from and how to remedy it. Surplus weight can have several causes:

A diet too rich in fat or sugar: a nutritionist can help you reduce your fat consumption and improve the quality of your diet

Can Yoga Help You Lose Weight?

Yoga consists of a sequence of physical poses (asanas), more or less tonic and done at a more or less rapid rhythm depending on the type of yoga. So, as you will be moving, toning and exercising your muscles: yes, yoga can help you get back into shape or stay fit.

One aspect is very important when trying to lose weight: pleasure. If you don’t enjoy practicing yoga, you won’t be motivated, will skip yoga lessons or home yoga sessions which means you won’t attain your weight-loss goals.

Yoga helps tone and sculpt your body. It can be very useful for a flat stomach, for example. But yoga is much more than a simple physical exercise.

If your weight problems are very grave, yoga courses alone will not be enough. You will need an activity with cardio elements to help burn your fat reserves. But yoga can help relieve stress and learn to feel good in your body, so that change can come from within rather than without – help on a mental rather than physical level.

If you want to lose more than 20 pounds, it’s important that you get help from a medical professional in weight loss to monitor the physical effects and suggest what strategies are best for you. But yoga can be a great help together with a more intense physical activity.

Though it cannot make you lose weight fast, the benefits of yoga for losing stomach fat, building abdominal muscles, improving all-round muscle tone and reducing cellulite are real.

In combination with a balanced diet, the gentle muscle exercises provided by yoga can lead to significant results in weight loss.

What Yoga Style is Best for Weight Loss?

There are several different types of yoga. All forms of yoga are based on deep breathing and harmony between mind and body.

But if the slower aspect of the more traditional yoga forms turn you off, there are more dynamic styles such as Ashtanga or Vinyasa yoga that are particularly well suited to burning calories and toning your body.

These yoga styles are also good for eliminating toxins and teaching you to listen to your body and its signals for hunger and fullness.

Additionally, many yoga poses help modulate the adrenal and thyroid glands which help regulate our metabolism.

You can also try Bikram Yoga if there are no contraindications in your case. It is basically a form of Hatha Yoga (the most common yoga style) executed in a room heated to 40°C and with 40% humidity to facilitate the evacuation of toxins.

A Bikram Yoga lesson generally lasts 90 minutes and is made up of 26 poses and two breathing exercises. You should definitely consult a doctor before practising Bikram Yoga.

Though you shouldn’t do more than two Bikram Yoga classes a week, if you want to lose weight quickly, daily home yoga routines can help.

These daily home yoga sessions can be rounded out with studio lessons or with a private tutor for:

Vinyasa Yoga

Ashtanga Yoga

Prenatal Yoga

Sophrology

Positive thinking exercises

Meditation exercises

What Are the Best Yoga Poses for Weight Loss?

Together with a healthy diet with lots of fruits and vegetables, fibre and very little fat, yoga can help lose weight and especially stomach fat.

Be mindful of your general state of health before doing the following exercises. If you are unsure of your ability to do them, consult a yoga specialist who will teach you how to do them without injuring yourself.

Here are some exercises particularly good at burning stomach fat.

Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana)

Stop as soon as you feel any pain!

Not for those suffering from cervical or back problems or hernia.

This pose strengthens the abdominal muscles and reduces stomach fat. It also strengthens the spine and back.

Lie down on your stomach with your legs stretched out

Place the palms of your hand on the floor just underneath your shoulders

Inhale and slowly raise your upper body

Hold this position for two full breaths

On the exhale, lower your whole body to the ground

Repeat 5 times with a 15 second rest period between each repeat.

The Bow Pose (Dhanurasana)

Contraindications: back and cervical problems, hernia.

This yoga pose reinforces the abdominal wall. It activates the digestive system and is a good way to stretch your back.

Lie down on your stomach with your legs stretched out

Bend your knees and grasp your ankles with your hands

On the inhale, raise your head while looking in front of you (to reduce the stress on your spine) and raise your legs as high as they will go

Maintain this pose for two full breaths, breathing normally

On the exhale, bring your body back to the original position

Repeat 5 times with a 15 second rest period between each repeat.

The Boat Pose (Naukasana)

One of the best poses for a flat belly. It is also good for the digestive system and strengthens the back and legs.

Bonus content: Eagle Pose to combat cellulite

Better than any anti-cellulite cream – I present to you: Eagle Pose! It strengthens the deep thigh muscles, but does so gently. It stretches and tones the calves, thighs, hips and ankles. It stretches and loosens the arms and shoulders.

This pose also augments your concentration and balance.

And because it is a bit more complicated that the other poses explained here, here is a video that shows you how it’s done.

Sound of Mind and Sound of Body: Using Yoga to Lose Weight

Rapid weight-loss is not the only advantage to pracitising yoga: you will feel liberated!

The benefits of yoga are numerous (not just to keep in shape):

1. Become more flexible
2. Manage stress
3. Learn to meditate
4. A physical activity you can do at home
5. Increased concentration

Lose weight with anti-stress yoga

Yoga helps you manage stress – while some people lose their appetites under stress, others find their appetite increase. They eat because they’re stressed, and so they gain weight. Regular practice of any form of yoga helps decrease stress levels. Being more relaxed, the munchies disappear.

Yoga also helps improve sleep patterns. Sleep problems are intimately linked to stress. Some meditation or yoga exercises just before going to sleep can help reduce stress levels and improve the quality of sleep. Having less trouble falling asleep and sleeping through the night, you won’t be as tired when the alarm rings.

Yoga’s ultimate goal is harmony

Beyond physical activity, yoga is above all a philosophy and introducing it into your life can fundamentally change you. You will feel better in your mind and thus in your body.

Trying out yoga means incorporating it in your lifestyle. You’ll see – though you might say “meditation is not for for me” or “yoga is too slow, I really need something more energising” or even “I don’t really like all that spiritual stuff”, and yet, with the right yoga teacher, you will soon find yourself slowly adopting all the facets of yoga into your daily life.

Basically, you are aiming for harmony between mind and body. Even if you need to lose more than 20 pounds, you will find that, after a few yoga sessions, those pounds that were ruining your life now seem meaningless.

Yoga is not a competition, as any yoga teacher will tell you: neither against others nor against yourself. The ultimate goal is not to master all the poses, lose X pounds or test your limits – the point of yoga is to make peace with yourself and learn to accept your body.

Finding A Personal Trainer Specialising in Yoga to Lose Weight

Of course, you can do home yoga but if you are just starting out you might need a little motivational help.

Is the secret to eating less and healthily to be found at the feet of a yoga sports coach?

Why use a personal trainer specialising in yoga?

Hiring a yoga-oriented sports coach can be a good solution if you need to:

Lose stomach fat

Lose thigh fat

Lose arm fat

Lose weight on your hips

Lose weight in your buttocks

Tone your upper thighs

Lose weight in your face

Reduce cellulite

The advantage of a sports coach is that they have training in something besides yoga. If he or she decides you need more energetic physical exercises to lose weight fast, they can give you advice on other sports, such as skipping rope, cardio exercises, weight lifting, pilates or other muscular reinforcement sports in addition to yoga.

A yoga-oriented personal trainer will have the advantage of both understanding how the body works and being open to other alternatives than your average sports coach. This is why we suggest you try and unite these two aspects – yoga teacher and personal trainer – in one person.

Adopting a healthy diet

If you can, make sure your personal trainer also has a good knowledge of nutrition. He can give you advice on how to eat healthy to lose weight, such as:

In addition to tailoring your sports programme to your individual needs, they can help you define the right diet to aid you on the road to your dream body – as you define it.

A personal trainer will motivate you.

A sports coach is also a good motivator. Alone at home, there is a tendency to abandon all your good resolutions fairly quickly, while a personal trainer who will be giving classes once or twice a week won’t let you skimp. No way around it – they will make sure you do the exercises.

A few additional tips for losing weight:

Green tea is an excellent anti-oxidant

Green vegetables are low in fat

Banish meal substitutes: they are generally high in sodium or sugar

White meat is leaner than red meat

Drinking frequently helps against the munchies

Avoid quick-release sugars in the morning and opt for salty and fatty foods such as eggs and whole-grain meat

Avoid fad diets! Hyper-protein, Dukan, cabbage-soup diets… none have proven themselves in the long run, and all are catalysts for the famous yo-yo effect. The key is a balanced diet, not too fatty, not too poor either, and regular physical activitiy.

Ask our personal trainers if you don’t believe me!

To sum it up:

No need to follow the newest fad diet. Concentrating instead on healthy, well-balanced eating habits while doing physical exercise is usually enough to stay in shape!

Yoga is not a magic wand that will magically let you lose weight – but it is useful for toning your body and muscling it evenly.

In addition to aiding in weight loss, yoga is also a natural anti-depressant. It will help you manage stress and let go of your negative thoughts. The vicious stress-nibbling-pounds circle will be broken, leaving the happier yoga-healthy eating-healthy body circle in its place.

A personal trainer specialising in yoga can help with nutritional advice and other, more intense physical activities to complement your yoga lessons.

Be careful not to hurt yourself when doing yoga poses. Don’t hesitate to contact one of our superprofs and take yoga classes to learn to do them correctly.